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Jose Mourinho has left AS Roma with immediate effect.
Roma has fired Jose Mourinho, leaving the club in ninth place in Serie A.
His final game as manager was a 3-1 loss to AC Milan on Sunday, which a suspended Mourinho had to watch from the stands, meaning the Stadio Olympico-based club had won just one of their previous six league games.
Roma have won just eight of their 20 Serie A matches this season, trailing Lazio, Bologna, Atalanta, and Fiorentina in the race for European qualification.
‘We would like to thank José on behalf of all of us at AS Roma for his passion and efforts since his arrival at the club,’ said Roma owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin in a statement.
‘While we have fond memories of his time at Roma, we believe that an immediate change is in the best interests of the club.
‘We wish Jose and his colleagues the best of luck in their future endeavors.’
Jose Mourinho | Club Stats
Mourinho joined Roma in May 2021 and led the club to the Europa Conference League title in 2022, the club’s first European trophy since 1961.
He also led them to the Europa League final the previous season, but Sevilla defeated them there on penalties.
Mourinho’s contract was set to expire at the end of the season prior to Roma’s announcement on Tuesday, and there had been mounting speculation about his future.
However, in recent weeks, he has expressed his desire to stay at the club, dismissing speculation linking him with Saudi Arabia in December and insisting on remaining in Italy.
‘I want to stay at Roma,’ he stated following a 2-0 loss to Bologna on December 17. If I stay at Roma, we’ll have to think long and hard about our financial fair play constraints, because it may be better to work with younger players and give them some opportunities. ‘That could present a development opportunity, as opposed to players who have nothing left to develop. I intend to continue and am open to new ideas. The former Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester United manager won 68 of his 138 games as manager, but he was frequently involved in disciplinary issues.
Mourinho was fired for the second time in a row last week, following a violent and chaotic Coppa Italia quarter-final loss to archrivals Lazio.
During 2023-24, the Portuguese coach received five red cards, adding to the three he received in 2022-23.
Mourinho was widely admired by Roma fans following their European triumph, but despite spending heavily in his first season at the club, he only managed to lead them to two sixth-place finishes.
This included high-priced additions like Rui Patricio, Tammy Abraham, Roger Ibanez, and Matias Vina, and his recent attempts to strengthen have been hampered by FFP constraints.
Jose Mourinho to Leave AS Roma with Immediate Effect
Mourinho’s departure in the middle of his third season will remind fans of his previous struggles at other clubs.
Mourinho left Man United in the middle of his third full season during his second stint at Chelsea.
After Roma were knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Lazio, Mourinho dubbed himself “Jose ‘Harry Potter’ Mourinho.”
‘The Roma fans are the most amazing I’ve ever seen. Jose ‘Harry Potter’ Mourinho is their coach, and he raises expectations,’ Mourinho said last week.
‘I don’t know how many derbies I’ve played, 200, 150, they’re always special matches,’ he says. I’ve won, drawn, and lost, each time with a new experience.
‘I’ve always understood that a game against Manchester City is not the same as a game against Arsenal for a Chelsea fan. That a game against Roma is not the same as a game against Juventus for Inter.
‘I understand what a derby is all about. The derby we played was significant.’
Roma claims that more details regarding Mourinho’s replacement will be made available soon.
They next play on Saturday, when they host Serie A strugglers Hellas Verona.
